Bite-Size Blog Post #38 - Oke Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Those Perfect Summers Evenings on Dartmoor
In my video series Discovering Dartmoor you will often hear me talk about how nice it is during the summer months to go for an evening walk on Dartmoor. If the wind is calm and the skies are clear it really can be one of life’s great pleasures. However, Dartmoor being Dartmoor, the conditions can be just as unsettled as they are in the summer as they are in the winter. So packing jackets and gloves is always recommend!
You might now be thinking that this is a story of being out in wintry conditions in the middle of summer. Well for once, it's not! This is a story of one of those summer evenings where the conditions were perfect for a nice stroll around my favourite area of Dartmoor.
As is often the case when the conditions are ideal for walking, I only go out with the intention of enjoying a walk and not to capture landscape photographs. That doesn't mean I won't take my camera with me, it's just means that the primary reason for going out is to enjoy a walk.
I started my evening walk with no real plan other than I'll park near Row Tor, head south and see where I end up. When I got parked the car, I could see East Mill Tor in the distance, so I thought that was a good a place as any to head to. I had been discussing East Mill Tor with a fellow photographer a few days before, so I decided to head there to review some compositions at both the north and south end of the tor.
Oke Tor Sunset #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/40th at ISO 200.
Expansive Views of Dartmoor
As I stood on the southern edge of East Mill Tor I took in some deep breaths and admired the landscape that stretched out in front of me. It was glorious! But where to go next? Scanning the horizon I could see Oke Tor. If I went there then I could make a nice little loop back to the car.
As I approached Oke Tor I could see the light dancing along the landscape and despite me not having the intention of capturing photographs that evening, I started to get excited about the possibility of getting the camera out. It was getting late though, and I was worried that there might not be enough time to get up onto the tor and to make use of the nice light.
Sure enough, I got up onto the tor and the light had gone. However, it was a beautiful evening, and I was in no hurry so I decided to be patient and waited to see what would happen. It was so peaceful there and I just stood there looking at the view. I could see patches of light illuminating the landscape but there were unfortunately not landing on the tor where I was.
Even as I stood there, I remember thinking that even if I don't get any photographs, I would return home having had a lovely walk and seen some spectacular views.
As most landscape photographers will tell you, patience is something you need to have lots of in this field of photography. It's not often you get rewarded for your patience, but on this evening, I was, and I captured a beautiful image of Oke Tor.
Oke Tor Sunset #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/3 at ISO 64.
As I walked back to the car, I thought about how fortunate I am to be able to experience Dartmoor in the ways that I do. I can freely walk all over Dartmoor and enjoy everything nature has to offer, and if I put myself in the right place at the right time, I can also use my camera to capture those unique moments in time.
Bite-Size Blog Post #37 - Dawlish
In this blog post I head to Dawlish to photograph something a little different but I'm not sure of the results.
And now for something completely different…
Over the last couple of years, I've spent a lot of time photographing Dartmoor. It feels like the only thing I've been photographing! Looking back at the list of blog posts I've published recently it's probably a fair assessment. Apart from the odd deviation, it’s all been Dartmoor, Dartmoor, Dartmoor!
Despite my need for a change of scenery I decided the best place for me to photograph with my next block of available free time would be Dartmoor! After such a good run photographing the heather on Dartmoor, I wanted to push my luck and go for one more shoot. However, while driving to Dartmoor I could clearly see the that the conditions weren't the same as what the weather forecast had predicated. The sky was looking very overcast. Glancing over to the coast however, there were patches of blue sky. A change of plan was needed!
It was already too late to go anywhere too far away like Dorset or Cornwall, so after pulling over to check my map, I settled on Dawlish. I had spotted a large stone groyne last time I was there, and I remember thinking it might make for a good long exposure photograph. I knew the tide was high, but as with any sunset shot there's always a risk that you get there to find the groyne populated with people or anglers.
I needn't have worried as to my surprise it was free of people, so I quickly got to work and captured this photograph.
Dawlish Groyne, South West Coast Path, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 15 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND Grad.
Looking at the photograph now, I'm not convinced it works though. I like the tones, the cloud cover and the simplicity of the image. However, I think my main issue is that while the horizon is completely level, the groyne doesn’t appear level in the frame. There’s one simple reason for this and that's because it's not actually level. Well, not at that point on the groyne anyway. It does level of a bit further down, but that would require me to shot it at a lower tide. (Which would also allow the red marker post at the end to be larger in frame).
I think the groyne being unlevel unbalances the composition in a composition where I feel balance is everything. It's also possible that this view simply doesn't work as a photograph. Just because it's a simple composition, and a long exposure, doesn’t make it good. Time will tell. I'll look at it again in a few months and I'll either think it does work, or I wish I hadn't bothered. Well, that’s not true. I'm glad I tried something different. It's important that I did and perhaps I need to do so more often.
Bite-Size Blog Post #36 - Trevose Head
Does anyone get nervous sometimes about processing their photos? Do you get worried that the feeling of joy you had taking the photographs doesn't carry on into the edit? Learn why I'd been putting off editing these images of Trevose Head in this blog post.
If in Doubt, Trust an Old Friend
Living in the south west of England I am spoilt for choice when it comes to locations to capture landscape photographs. I have Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor National Park and 600 miles or so of the South West Coast Path to photograph. There’s a lifetime worth of locations to visit.
So why is it some locations keep calling you back again and again? Even when you already have a fine portfolio of photographs from that location, you still feel the need to return. Is it because you know you can capture good images there? Or because it’s just a beautiful place to be?
There is one such place in Cornwall that falls into that category for me, and that’s Trevose Head. Looking at my free landscape photography locations map, I can see that I’ve written about Trevose Head at least 6 times here on the blog. But why do I keep going back? Is it because I consistently capture photographs that I like at Trevose Head? Or maybe because it’s a dramatic and stunning section of coastline? Whatever the reason, I like it there.
I built up a bit of a back log of blog posts so the photographs you see in this post are a few months old now, but I’ll be honest with you, I can’t remember the real reason I went back to Trevose Head. It might have been that the weather conditions and tide were going to suit Trevose Head, or I was in a bit of a creative rut, and I felt safe going there, or maybe I just drove there subconsciously! I don’t know, and maybe it doesn’t matter, because the evening I took these photographs was special.
Trevose Head Sunset #1, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 0.5 secs at ISO 640, Kase Filters CPL
I could tell just standing there on the cliffs that the conditions were good for photography and that feeling continued as I captured the photographs. On the long drive home, I knew I had captured some photographs that I would be happy with. When I imported them into Lightroom I could see the raw files had promise.
So why has it taken so long to share them? Yes, I had a backlog of blog posts to write, but the main reason I’ve left it this long to write about them is that I was nervous about processing them. What if I found they weren’t that good after all? I wanted to hold onto to magical time at Trevose Head and I didn’t want it to be spoilt by disappointing photographs. Maybe that’s missing the point of enjoying my time there. Perhaps I should just enjoy the memory of that experience.
As it turns out though, I needn’t have worried. I’m very happy with the photographs I captured that evening. So much so, I want to go back. But that’s no bad thing.
Trevose Head Sunset #1, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL
Bite-Size Blog Post #35 - Hookney Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Sometimes it's the small rocky outcrops rather than the tors that are the highlight of a location.
In Search of Heather - Part 5
If you've been reading my blog over the last few weeks, you'll know that I've been busy exploring Dartmoor looking to capture some compelling images of heather. After a slow start, I've had a good run of capturing photographs I am happy with. Not one to quit while I'm ahead and finish on a positive note, I decided to push for another photograph by heading to Hookney Tor.
In part 2 of this mini heather themed series of blog posts I mentioned that I struggled with finding a balanced composition at Hookney Tor, so I eventually changed location and photographed Grimspound instead. However, I was sure that with a bit more exploration I would find a composition featuring Hookney Tor. One observation I made during my previous visit was that I thought that Hookney Tor might be better at sunset rather than sunrise.
Despite some pleasant evening conditions up on Hookney Tor, I continued to struggle to find a composition with the tor and the heather. In a moment of frustration, I walked to the viewpoint of Grimspound to capture some photographs, but I was using the same composition as my previous visits, and arguably, the images weren't as good.
Grimspound Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Over the years that I've been photographing Dartmoor National Park I've come to the conclusion that not all tors are worth photographing. Perhaps Hookney Tor was going to fall into this category? When it started to cloud over, I packed my bag and started walking back to the car.
It was at this point that I got inspired. On the path was a small rocky outcrop which was catching the light from the setting sun. There was even a small clump of heather to include in the composition. I frantically got my camera back out of the bag and grabbed a few shots. I was just in time as no sooner had I captured the image the light was gone.
Hookney Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 23mm, f/13, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
While the image isn't as good as my previous heather photographs this year, I am still pleased with the result. Especially as I thought I was going home with no photographs. But I also learnt an important lesson. During my visits to Hookney Tor I had been very focused on the large rock stacks and making them part of my composition. What I also need to keep an eye out for is the small things. The small rocky outcrops of Dartmoor, that despite their size, can still make for good photographs.
Will there be a part 6 to my Dartmoor National Park heather series of photographs? I don't think so, but you never know!
Bite-Size Blog Post #34 - Honeybag Tor - Dartmoor National Park
My run of good luck with photographing the heather on Dartmoor continues with a visit to Honeybag Tor.
In Search of Heather - Part 4
In my last blog post I shared with you some of the heather themed photographs I captured at Chinkwell Tor. With the heather looking good at that part of Dartmoor National Park, I decided to keep the momentum going and heading to Chinkwell's neighbouring tor, Honeybag Tor.
It was a further 10 days on since I'd been to Chinkwell Tor so I had high hopes this would be the peak of heather season, and I was not disappointed. There were some beautiful clumps of heather mixed in with the yellow of the gorse bushes. I just needed to find a composition and more importantly, wait for a break in the cloud. I still had a bit of time before sunrise, so I decided to have a wee wander about.
Though I'd never properly taken the time to photograph Honeybag Tor, as I explored the area I started to pick out compositions. But my big worry was that most of these would suit a sunset rather than a sunrise, and what I thought were they good compositions didn't actually include any heather!
Dartmoor can be a tricky place to photograph though, particularly in flat light. It's hard to previsualise compositions. Or at least I can struggle to previsualise. Not to worry though, mother nature to the rescue! Just as I was about to conclude that the area had nice heather but no suitable compositions, the cloud broke and divine light shone on my composition!
Heather at Honeybag Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
Knowing that light like that is very fleeting on Dartmoor I immediately got to work and started taking pictures. No sooner has I grabbed a couple of frames and tweaked my composition, the light disappeared. It was a very exciting few minutes and very much a typical Dartmoor photography experience! That is, you wait ages and just when you are on the cusp of giving up and going home, you get 5 minutes of light to work with, and then you are done.
Five minutes is all you need some mornings though. I'd captured my photographs, and I was happy. With two successful shoots under my belt, should I push for a third one? Find out next time.
Heather at Honeybag Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #33 - Chinkwell Tor - Dartmoor National Park
My journey to photograph the heather on Dartmoor takes a big step forward with a visit to Chinkwell Tor!
In Search of Heather - Part 3
Unlike my trials and tribulations with capturing photographs of thrift, photographing heather should be easier. It's not that the art of photographing heather is easier than thrift, it's just that Dartmoor National Park is considerably closer than Cornwall (where the thrift is). The closeness of Dartmoor means I can go there more often, greatly increasing my chances of capturing a heather themed photograph.
A week on from my visit to Grimspound in my last blog post, I decide this time to visit Chinkwell Tor. Chinkwell Tor has a special place in my photography heart as it's the only other place where I've captured good photographs of heather.
Chinkwell Tor Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/22, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
However, the saying "past performance does not guarantee future results" is true for a reason, but I arrived at Chinkwell Tor cautiously optimistic. I needn't have worried though. I soon discovered a few clumps of heather beautifully mixed in with the luscious yellow of the gorse bushes. But would I get the weather conditions? Would overcast or clear blue skies spoil the party?
Honeybag Heather #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64.
As you can see from the photographs, the answer is no. It's not often everything comes together, but when it does, it's extremely satisfying. I'm not suggesting the photographs here are outstanding, but that's rarely the goal. The goal is always to spend some quality time on Dartmoor, experience the start of a new day, and if possible, capture some photographs that make me happy. And these photographs make me happy.
Saying that, I'll probably head out in a few days again. The heather was looking good, so no point in stopping now.
Honeybag Heather #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 29mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #32 - Grimspound - Dartmoor National Park
In this blog post I continue my search for a compelling photograph of the heather on Dartmoor by visiting Grimspound.
In Search of Heather - Part 2
In my last blog post I talked about my search for a compelling photograph of the heather around the Haytor area of Dartmoor National Park. As I said in that blog post it was a little early in the heather season to get a good photograph.
Despite that I decided to head out the following morning, but this time to Hookney Tor. Even within the borders of Dartmoor, different areas reach their heather peak at various times so it was a reasonable assumption that a change of location could yield better results.
Arriving at Hookney Tor I found myself a little lost. Creatively speaking that is. Though I've visited Hookney Tor a few times, I'd never taken the time to properly photograph it. There were patches of heather, but I found it difficult to balance the clumps of heather with the tor. It didn't help that it was cloudy, and the landscape looked a bit flat.
I decided that Hookney Tor wasn't working for me, so I opted to photograph a location that I had shot before, Grimspound. I first discovered Grimspound when I visited it in Episode 2 of Discovering Dartmoor. The photograph that I captured during that episode also had heather in it, so there was a danger of capturing the same photograph, but it was my best option.
Grimspound Sunrise #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30 f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/200 sec at ISO 640.
Grimspound is one of Dartmoor National Parks most important bronze age sites, but it's best photographed from the path leading down from Hookney Tor. I was keen not to repeat the same composition, but despite hunting around for a better one, I kept returning to the same view. However, while the composition might be similar to my first visit during Discovering Dartmoor, the conditions were different, and dare I say better.
Grimspound Sunrise #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30 f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/25 sec at ISO 64.
The heather isn't as prominent in the photograph as I might like, but the light coming in from the side is lovely thanks to some diffusion from the clearing cloud. I took two variations of the composition, just changing my position slightly. I'm not sure which one I prefer.
So, my search for a compelling photograph of the heather on Dartmoor continues, but my morning at Hookney Tor and Grimspound was time well spent.
Bite-Size Blog Post #31 - Haytor - Dartmoor National Park
In my blog this week I start to tell you the story of my goal to capture a compelling photograph of the heather on Dartmoor.
In Search of Heather
I recently wrote about the frustrations and challenges I have with photographing the thrift on the Cornish coast. It can be such a small window of opportunity to photograph it at its best and because life has a habit of getting in the way of important things like photography, I sometimes miss out.
I often tell myself not to bother with photographing these brief seasonal events. It only leads to frustration! But with that kind of attitude, I’d never capture anything interesting so here I am again, just this time with the heather!
By the time you read this, heather season will be well and truly over, but over the next few weeks here on the blog, I will share my photography adventures as I search for a compelling photograph of heather. Hopefully, I won’t run out of time and the weather gods will be good to me before heather season is over.
Heather at Haytor
Heather is widespread across Dartmoor National Park, but there are areas such as Haytor which turn purple in August. Arriving early August, I had low expectations that I would see fields of purple heather and I wasn’t exactly wrong. There were patches of heather but not enough to make an interesting photograph.
Haytor Heather (Lowman's Rock), Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 22mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
I was a little too early in the heather season, but as it was such a pleasant evening I took the opportunity to go for a walk. There are few things better than taking a long walk around the Haytor area on a summers evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to clear my head and relax a little bit. Sometimes a good evening isn’t defined by how good the photography was.
As it turned out though, when I returned to the car and looked onto Haytor (Lowman’s Rock), it was beautiful lit by the setting sun, so I quickly grabbed a photograph. It might not feature any heather, but I’m still pleased with the image, and even more pleased that I spent time on Dartmoor.
Haytor at Sunset (Lowman's Rock), Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 51mm, f/11, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #30 - Watern Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Watern Tor is one of Dartmoor's most remote locations, but is it worth a 15km round trip walk to photograph it?
One of Dartmoor’s Most Remote Tors
Watern Tor is one of Dartmoor National Park’s most remote tors. Fur Tor is commonly recognised as Dartmoor’s most remote tor, but that doesn’t mean Watern Tor is easy to get to. Far from it.
In Discovering Dartmoor Episode 5 I walked to Watern Tor from Batsworthy which was a distance of 5.5 km. If I was to wait for sunset, the walk back could be tricky as it wouldn’t stay light long enough for me to safely get back to the car. However, wild camping solves this problem and also provides the additional benefit of being able to photograph Watern Tor at sunset and sunrise.
Watern Tor is not only remote, but it is also spectacular, so ever since filming there for Discovering Dartmoor, I’ve been eager to get back. However, I wanted to see if there was a quicker route there. One that didn’t require me to wild camp but rather allowed me to walk back after sunset.
Watern Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/11, 1/10 sec at ISO64
Dartmoor’s Military Roads
Like it or not, we must share Dartmoor National Park with the military. While this means that sometimes access to certain parts of north and west Dartmoor is prohibited, it does also mean that if you need to walk somewhere fast, there might be a road you can make a fast walk on.
My idea was to pick up the road at East Okement Farm and follow it south until I was adjacent to Steeperton Tor. Cars are prohibited just past East Okement Farm, so you’ll only find farm and military vehicles using it, and while the surface isn’t the greatest, it’s more than suitable for a fast paced walk.
I managed to walk to Hangingstone Hill in good time by taking a more direct path that runs along the base of Steeperton Tor. Once at Hangingstone Hill it was a simple case of turning east and tracking to Watern Tor. Distance wise it was actually further than walking in from Batworthy. However, the 7km walk took almost as long, but importantly, I could be back on the road for the bulk of return walk after a relatively short walk from Watern Tor. It’s much easier to walk along a road in the dark than a path.
Watern Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/11, 1/10 sec at ISO64
Photographing Watern Tor
After all that walking and navigation, did I capture any photographs? Of course I did, and I’m pleased to say I found some different compositions from my previous visit.
Unsurprisingly though, the conditions were challenging. Around Watern Tor the sky was relatively cloud free, but to the west where the sun was setting it was rather cloudy. So even when the cloud cleared a little and I got some light on the tor, they sky wasn’t very interesting. It’s at times like this that I find the best approach to composition on Dartmoor is to try and make the tor large in the frame.
At first, I was struggling to do this as I was focused on one particular composition. The side on view of Watern Tor is iconic (in Dartmoor terms), but it also means shooting wide making it difficult to appear large in the frame. Thinking I need to do something different I put the tripod away and went for a walk with the camera until I found the composition you see in these photographs.
I have included both a colour and B&W version of the composition. Both work well but for different reasons. When there isn’t direct sunlight on the tor, I prefer the B&W version, and when there is light on the tor, I prefer the colour edits. What do you think? They do look very similar, but when the light on the tor isn’t the soft warm light you get directly from the sun, the tor can look very uninteresting and a bit flat. Converting to B&W brings out the texture and contrast of the tor.
As is the case more often than not, the photographs are a bonus to me. The real treat was the walk. Now that I know I can make the walk for sunset without having to camp, I’ll be returning to Watern Tor again soon. It is a location with huge potential and I can’t wait to return.
A Little Bit of Glencoe
Back to the Homeland
I've returned to my homeland of Scotland a couple of times this year and each time I have, I made sure that I took my camera so that I could photograph of the beautiful Scottish landscape. Despite my best intentions though, I never captured any photographs. But how could I possibly go all the way to Scotland and not take any landscape photographs?
My primary reason for going to Scotland was to see family and friends, not to take photographs. So, when I was there and I was spending time with the people that are close to me, my motivation for early alarm calls and staying out late to take pictures evaporated. Dare I say, but there is more to life than photography!
However, I've just returned from another trip to Scotland, and despite this being another friends and family type visit, I was determined to get out and use my camera! Add in the fact that it was the height of autumn, and the colours would be at their best in the landscape, there was no way I was returning home without capturing at least one landscape photograph!
An Ascent of Beinn a' Chrùlaiste
With Glencoe being only a 60 minute drive from my family home in Scotland, it became the obvious choice to go on a photography adventure. One of my all-time favourite Glencoe viewpoints is looking towards Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mòr) from up on Beinn a' Chrùlaiste. You don't even need to get all the way to the summit to get a good viewpoint. By reaching Stob Beinn a' Chrùlaiste you can get a perfect side on view of Stob Dearg. It might be an all uphill walk in the dark, but to sit on that hill side and watch the sun come up over Glencoe is nothing short of magical.
As I said, it is one of my favourite viewpoints so I have photographed it before, but I've always felt I could get a better photograph, or at least a photograph with different weather conditions. Maybe even a temperature inversion!
Stob Dearg Sunrise, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 29mm, f/11, 1.6 secs at ISO 64.
Alas, as you can see from my photograph I didn't get a cloud inversion. In fact, I didn't get much in the way of cloud at all. There was a blanket of very high level cloud that didn't add much to the scene and all it really did was stop the sky looking too blue. Other than that, the light was beautiful and the way it catches the mountain, and the autumnal colour of the ground is a sight I will never bore off. It's a composition I've captured before, but I'll happily keep going back and doing it again.
After spending a wonderful hour on the side of the hill, the light had become bright and harsh, so I felt there weren't many more opportunities to capture photographs. I had the choice of going back the way I ascended and to the car or continuing my walk to the summit of Beinn a' Chrùlaiste. As I'd never been to the summit, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I'd get a nice walk, and I might find some compositions to come back to another morning.
After reaching the summit I descended down the eastern ridge, a route that I'd never done before. The highlight of the descent was hearing the roaring sounds of the stags. It was the height of the rutting season, and the noise of the stags could be heard everywhere. I even managed to spot one close to the Kinghouse Hotel.
After 13km of walking, my circular route took me back to the car feeling happy and content with my morning adventure in Glencoe.
Glencoe Lochan
A few days later I met up with a friend and fellow photographer who has a lot more experience of photographing Glencoe than me. She took me to a location I'd never been to before, Glencoe Lochan. While the light wasn't amazing, the water was calm, and autumn colours were beautiful.
Glencoe Lochan, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1 secs at ISO 64.
This is by no means an amazing photograph, but I wanted to capture it so I could remind myself to return here next time I'm in the area.
River Coe
The afternoon weather in Glencoe had turned cloudy and wet, but the great thing about Glencoe is that even in the stormiest of conditions, you will likely find something to shoot. With the hope that there would be a gap in clouds rapidly fading, we decided to head down to the River Coe to see if we could make a composition featuring the river and the mountains. Even with the absence of light, the autumn colours of the landscape were striking.
It was late in the day when we got down to the river, and with so much cloud in the sky, the light levels were low. I admit that this did cause me to feel a little rushed and finding a balanced composition in a complex scene was tricky. The river has many twists, turns, pools, and waterfalls, and trying to place these effectively in a composition along with the trees and mountains, is something that requires time and exploration.
River Coe Rapids #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 0.5 secs at ISO 500.
I'm not complaining though. This is another part of Glencoe that I haven't explored before and just being there was exciting. It's another Glencoe location that I will revisit when I have more time, and I'm wearing a pair of wellies. I could easily spend a few hours (carefully) exploring this stretch of the River Coe.
River Coe Rapids #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 3 secs at ISO 400.
My time photographing Glencoe was short, but I loved it. I'm so glad I made the effort to tear myself away from my family and to head out with the camera. I photographed one of my favourite Glencoe locations and I found a couple of new ones. I had clear, calm weather one day, and wind and rain the other. But no matter the weather, Glencoe is still one of the most spectacular places in the country. No matter if I'm just enjoying a walk or taking landscape photographs, I will never get bored of it. I can't wait to go back.
Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod Review
A good tripod provides should provide a stable platform for a landscape photographers camera. In this blog post I head to the Scottish Highlands to test out the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Fibre tripod. Will it do the job I need it to?
Why I Have the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod
As I recently mentioned in my review of the Manfrotto PRO Light Backloader Backpack, tripods and camera bags are one of the photographic accessories you will likely replace the least often. A well-made, solid tripod should span the lifetime of more than one camera.
For most photographers the inclusion of one tripod in their kit bag is enough to cover most of their photographic needs. I on the other hand normally need access to a 2nd tripod. This might be a tripod that I carry in addition to my main tripod to allow me to create video content at the same time as taking photographs, or it might be a lightweight tripod I use when hillwalking in Scotland.
Unlike my primary tripod which has remained consistent for longer than I can remember, it's my secondary tripod that I've struggled to settle on. I've found it challenging to find something that is lightweight, versatile and stable. So when Manfrotto reached out to me and asked if I'd like to review their Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod, I jumped at the chance.
In this blog post I'm going to tell you a little bit about this tripod, and I'll share my real-world experience of using it.
Before I go any further though, I must say that Manfrotto sent me this tripod free of charge in exchange for writing this review. However, they have not asked me to say anything and everything I write here are my own thoughts (good and bad). They will see this review for the first time when I publish it here.
The Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod high up on the hills around Glencoe in Scotland.
Where To Buy the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod
If you'd like to buy the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod, it's available just about anywhere, including:
Please note that the Amazon and WEX links are affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you purchase through those links, but it does not affect the price that you pay.
Features of the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod
In this review I'm going to talk about most of the features and specifications of the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon tripod, but if you want a full breakdown of everything this tripod has then check out all the specifications over on the Manfrotto website. This tripod is also part of the Manfrotto Befree collection so many of the same features in this tripod apply to the other tripods in the range. If you like the look of this tripod but it doesn't quite match your requirements, do check out the other tripods in the collection.
Tripod Legs
The tripod is made of carbon fibre and weighs approximately 1.55 kg (including the supplied head). Closed down the tripod length is 43 cm, extended it is 138cm and with the centre column extended it reaches a maximum height of 162 cm. Closed down the tripod is both small enough and light enough to carry by hand or it can be attached to your camera bag (or inside a checked bag if flying).
The Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod attached to the Manfrotto PRO Light Backloader Backpack
Each leg comprises of 4 sections that can be extended or contracted using a twist lock style mechanism. The angle of the legs can also be independently adjusted.
Other features include:
The legs have rubber feet.
The tripod supports a maximum weight of 12kg.
There is a hook should you wish to hang something off it like a camera bag.
The tripod has a Manfrotto Easy Link connector allowing you to add accessories such as lights.
A tripod carrying case is supplied.
Tripod Head
My tripod came as a kit which means the box contained both the tripod legs and a Manfrotto Advanced 496 Aluminium Centre Ball Head. The ball head has three controls. There is an independent panoramic knob that allows the head to pan 360 degrees without adjusting the position of the camera on the ball head. The other two controls are for the ball mechanism itself. The first control allows you to adjust the position of the camera on the head, and the other control allows you to adjust the friction level of the head.
You mount your camera to the tripod head using the included Manfrotto quick release plate, the RC2.
Using the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO Carbon Tripod in the Real World
What Is the Real World?
For me, the main function of this tripod is for landscape photography and video content creation. So, it will either be my primary tripod for my landscape photography when I need something compact and lightweight, or my video tripod when I'm creating content for YouTube. As this review will mostly focus on my use of this tripod for landscape photography, I decided to put it to use on a recent trip to the highlands of Scotland. With cold, wet and windy weather, and plenty of hills and mountains to climb, it's a great real-world environment to test this tripod.
Carrying the Befree GT PRO
Closed down the Befree GT PRO tripod is easy to carry.
At just 43cm closed down, and a weight of 1.55kg the Befree GT Pro is easy to carry around. For the most part I had the tripod attached to the side of one of my camera bags. Once on my bag I barely noticed it was there. It's not heavy so I didn't feel it pulling the bag to one side, and it's shorter than my camera bags so it fits neatly on the side as well.
Moving about with the tripod in your hands is easy as well. With the legs still extended it's easy enough to walk short distances, and if I need to walk a bit further it's compact and light enough to carry by hand.
Extending and Closing Down the Befree GT PRO
If a tripod is difficult to extend or collapse and fold away, you are much less likely to use it. I didn't have any problems with the twist locks on this tripod. The locks were easy to twist and unlock, releasing the legs to be extended. I didn't experience any sticking, and I was able to use them with cold hands and with gloves on. I could extend all three legs to their maximum length in no time at all.
The centre column can also be extended, and this has a separate mechanism at the top of the tripod.
Equally, closing down the tripod was a simple affair. It takes slightly longer as you need to turn each twist lock separately, but it's hardly an arduous task. You then have the option of folding the closed legs up towards the tripod head to make it even more compact, but this also requires you to extend the centre column as well. For me, this small bit of extra effort isn't worth the few centimetres in height it saves. It is something I would consider doing if I was travelling with the tripod though.
Tripod Heads
I'm not a big fan of ball heads as I much prefer the precision nature of a geared head. However, ball heads are often smaller and lighter and therefore they are often a better choice if you are spending the day walking in the mountains. I was pleasantly surprised with the Manfrotto 496 head that is included in this kit. Yes, it lacks the total precision of a geared head, but thanks to the addition of the friction control knob it's possible to dial in just the right amount of friction for the weight of your camera and lens. This means it is a lot easier to control the movement of the head when you do release it. This doesn't make me a ball head convert, but it does make the choice of taking a ball head instead of a geared head a lot easier.
But the good thing about this tripod is that the head isn't fixed to the legs so you can remove it. This opens up a whole world of different tripod heads (with 3/8" mounting) that you can fit to the Befree GT Pro. For me, I was able to use my favourite geared head, or when I really wanted to keep the weight to a minimum, I have an even lighter weight Manfrotto ball head (though it lacks the friction control of the 496 head).
For video work, I can also mount my Manfrotto video head.
Load, Balance and Stability
The primary purpose of a tripod is to provide a stable platform for your camera. If it can't do this then there is little point in carrying it about with you. However, the stability of a tripod is greatly affected by factors such as camera system weight (body and lens), environmental conditions (wind), and the types of photographs you will be taking (e.g. long exposures).
All reviews are subjective, but tripod reviews are particularly so. What is a good tripod for me, might not be for another person. So, bear in mind if I think this tripod provides a good stable platform, that's subjective and based on how I use it. If you shoot wildlife with an 800mm lens, your milage may vary!
With all that said, I used this tripod for landscape photography which means I was using my Nikon Z8 with either a Nikkor Z 14-30 f/4 S lens or Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens. This gives me a maximum system weight of approximately 1540g, plus maybe bit extra for filters. All well within the weight limit of 12kg for the tripod.
The Befree GT PRO with my Nikon Z8 and Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 S
In a horizontal orientation I experienced no issues with balance, even with my 24-120mm lens fully extended. With the camera in a vertical orientation, I still didn't experience any issues, though I do tend to be a bit more wary and may adjust the angle of one of the legs to provide additional balance. This is one of the reasons why I prefer my geared head as I can use my camera L-bracket to put the camera in a vertical orientation rather than using the ball head to do it.
For a lightweight tripod stability is good and I didn't experience any wobbles even when the wind was a bit breezier. I was also able to confidently capture some long exposure photographs. But this is a lightweight tripod, and it will have limits. I haven't found those limits yet, but there will be occasions where the wind is very strong and longer exposures will be challenging. In very windy conditions I would avoid extending the centre column to much (but this goes for any tripod with a centre column).
But based on my experience I would be confident with the stability of this tripod in most of the conditions I would be willing to be out in with my camera.
The ability to independently adjust the angle of the legs of the Befree GT Pro provides additional stability on uneven ground like this hillside.
Things I Would Change
No product is perfect, and the Befree GT Pro is no different. There are just a couple of minor things I would change:
Tripod spikes - I would like to have seen Manfrotto include spikes as well as rubber feet. While I believe you can buy a set of Manfrotto spikes, these are a proprietary fit and so you can't use standard 3rd party spikes. I'm a big fan of spikes as these can really improve the stability of a tripod.
Manfrotto 496 Head - Many of the Manfrotto heads require your camera to have an RC2 plate attached rather than the more universal arca-swiss style mounting (such as the one found on my L-bracket). It is possible to attach the RC2 plate to my L-Bracket, and then I attach it to the head, but I don't find this to be a versatile solution. Additionally, if you are shooting vertically, you really need to make sure the RC2 is tightly attached, or you may find the camera slipping on the plate (especially during long exposures).
Long Term Durability
The one thing I haven't been able to test is the long-term durability of the tripod. However, given it's manufactured by Manfrotto, and it comes with a 2+8-year warranty, I can't see any reason why it wouldn’t give me many years of happy use.
In Summary
I am very happy with my experience so far with the Manfrotto Befree GT Pro tripod. It's lightweight, compact, and sturdy. It's the perfect tripod if you are trying to keep your kit weight to a minimum and it easily attaches to my camera bags without becoming a burden. It's even the type of tripod I'd be happy to take out on family walks to capture those special group shots. Nothing bores the family more than waiting 10 minutes as you set up your tripod!
If your camera is mirrorless or generally lightweight, you'll find the maximum payload of 12kg more than enough even to make this your only tripod.
The tripod feels like a quality product and the legs extend and collapse easily making it a tripod you will want to use on a regular basis. The ball head is surprisingly nice to use, and proprietary plates aside, is a good addition to the legs.
The carbon fibre legs provide a stable platform for longer exposures.
As I said earlier in the review, there's no such thing as a perfect tripod and what's good for me, might not be good for you. It's always worth carefully considering how you will use any tripod and what camera you will be putting on it. But for me, Manfrotto Befree GT PRO is the perfect companion for me and my Nikon Z8 and those beautiful long walks in the Scottish Highlands.
I hoped you enjoyed this review of the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO backpack and if you have any questions, please leave me a comment below.
Bite-Size Blog Post #29 - The Quiraing
I love the view towards the Quiraing but I always seem to struggle to get a photograph I'm happy with in. I got a chance to go back recently, but was this the best I could get?
In Search of The Needle
The Isle of Skye is magical and for the landscape photographer, it’s heaven. Like most of the Hebridean islands, it offers a lot of variety to adventurous photographer. You can photograph the coast and the mountains and everything in between.
Unfortunately, this blog post isn’t a story about how I spent many wonderful days on the island capturing portfolio images every day. No, this is a brief story about just one morning on Skye. Don’t feel sad for me though, I was on my way to spend 10 days on Harris and Lewis!
With just one morning on Skye, it can be difficult to select a location, but when your next stop is Uig and the ferry to Harris, it’s almost impossible to not be drawn to the Quiraing. I had photographed it on my last visit but I wasn’t completely happy with the photographs. I had unfinished business at the Quiraing!
So, would this trip yield any better results? Well, no, not really. I’m not unhappy with the photograph I captured. I did what I could with the conditions and light that I had. I just feel that this photograph lacks the drama that I would want to see from this view. Perhaps I’ve had my perception skewed from all the photographs I have seen of the Quiraing over the years.
I’m not going to worry about it though. It’s just inspired me to want to go back and next time with enough time for repeat visits.
While I was there though, and with the thought of coming back in my mind, I decided to explore a little more of the area. I particularly wanted to see The Needle, but managed to miss the path that takes you up to it. It wasn’t the end of the world though as the two hour circular walk that I went on revealed some very nice locations that would shoot well in the right conditions.
I might not have captured the most amazing image of the Quiraing, but it was definitely time well spent. It was goodbye to Skye, but I know I will be back one day. Soon.
The Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 27mm, f/11, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #28 - Glencoe
With so many amazing spots to photograph in Glencoe it can be hard to know what to shoot. But sometimes you just need to take a chance, recce a location and then see what happens. Find out why I captured this image in the blog this week
There Are Worse Places to Stop
Back in March I went on a photography adventure to Harris and Lewis in Scotland. It’s a very long journey from Devon to the Outer Hebrides so an overnight stop somewhere will always need to be on the itinerary. Fortunately, Devon to Glencoe is about doable in a day, so me and my friend decided a quick overnight there would be perfect. We’d be there in time for sunset, and we could sneak in a quick sunrise shoot before continuing our journey north.
It may sound like an odd thing to say, but when you only have a short amount of time in a location, particularly a location like Glencoe, deciding what to shoot is not as easy as it might appear. You are literally spoilt for choice so there was a lot of debate on where to shoot, both on the drive up and at the hotel. A decision had to be made though and after a bit map scrolling, we spotted a loch that if the weather forecast was accurate, it could be still enough for reflections.
The evening forecast was a little unsettled so we sacrificed the evening shoot to go and recce a spot on the loch. Best be prepared for the morning rather than turn up and then be in a panic when the conditions are good. As it turned out, it was a beautiful evening. There was plenty of drama in the sky with lots of clouds lit up by the setting sun, and there were also so nice reflections on the loch. The only thing missing was light on the landscape. But our time there wasn’t wasted as we both agreed that if we get great conditions the next morning, this will be the place to be.
We headed back the following morning and we weren’t disappointed! The loch was perfectly still, there was plenty of cloud in the sky, and though we had to be patient, we did finally get light on the hills and then magically on the trees! What a perfect way to start a two week photography adventure.
Just for fun, I’ve included two versions of my favourite image that I captured that morning. The first is the uncropped version. I love this version as it shows how good the reflections were. I also love the panoramic crop version. I’d be really tempted to print that version to have on my wall. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 1/8th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 1/8th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL, single image panoramic crop..
Bite-Size Blog Post #27 - Bedruthan
In the blog this week I'm back in Cornwall to see if I can capture a compelling photograph of the thrift along the Cornish coast? Did I succeed? Find out in the blog at
That Pesky Thrift Part 2
Last week in the blog I wrote about the challenges I have with photographing seasonal events such as when the thrift blooms along the coast of Cornwall. While I wasn’t unhappy with my photograph from Trevone, the thrift wasn’t at its peak. A return trip was needed!
One of the best, and most popular locations to photograph the thrift is Bedruthan. For large stretches of the cliff tops at Bedruthan you can find beautiful clumps of flowering thrift, just like you see in the photograph below.
Bedruthan Thrift #1, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 28mm, f/11, 25 secs at ISO 64
While finding clumps of thrift was easy enough, the weather conditions weren’t what you might call inspiring! As is often the case on the Cornish coast, the line between amazing and flat conditions is thin. On one hand the skies had plenty of interesting clouds that if lit up by the setting sun would prove to be very photogenic. But on the other hand, the sun was playing hide and seek behind those lovely clouds.
While the photographs I captured are pleasing enough, what they are really missing is the warm, soft light from a sun low on the horizon. That kind of light can utterly transform a scene as it would light up the cliffs adding contrast and depth, and it would also illuminate the underside of the clouds.
This problem is that when you know the conditions can be better and what that means for your photographs, you aren’t completely happy if you don’t get those conditions. However, I captured the best photographs I could that evening and more than that, I had a great time doing so! There is something special about spending time at the coast. It’s good for the soul!
I’d like to say there is a part 3 to this story and that next week I capture an awe-inspiring photograph of the Cornish thrift, but alas there isn’t. I didn’t make it back in time and thrift season came to an end. Maybe next year I’ll just move to Cornwall for spring. I’ll have no excuses then!
Bedruthan Thrift #2, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 20 secs at ISO 64
Bite-Size Blog Post #26 - Trevone Thrift
I normally miss thrift season in Cornwall, but not this year! In the blog this week I head to Trevone to capture some photographs of this beautiful pink flower but capturing and processing the images were a little tricky.
That Pesky Thrift
Like most seasonal flowers, photographing thrift not only requires skill but also good timing. There is probably only a two or three week window when the flowers are looking their best. It’s not that you can’t create lovely pictures outside of that window, but if you can get them just at the right time, when the conditions are lovely, you can end up with a superb photograph!
And here lies the problem. The thrift along the Cornish coast is lovely, but the drive is anything between 1.5 and 2 hrs for me, so it doesn’t take much for that journey not to be worth it or even possible. And before you know it, the peak has passed, or sometimes I’ve missed the whole thrift season!
I made a commitment to myself that 2024 would be different. I would fully commit to capturing the thrift! Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I only made to Cornwall twice! I’ll talk about my visit to Bedruthan in a later post, but in this blog post I’m going to share the photograph I captured from Trevone.
The photograph is a three frame focus stacked image. (If you want to know how to focus stack then check out either of my videos here or here). I originally shot the sequence using four frames, with the last frame being a longer exposure to smooth out the sea. Capturing the four frame was tricky as the light on cliff tops would change too much between the first and forth frames.
I did manage to get a couple of four frame sequences, but the post processing proved too tricky. The frames would focus stack, but it would then involve a lot of manual blending in photoshop between the short exposure frame and the long exposure frame. I’m sure someone with greater Photoshop skills than me might have managed it, but I gave up in the end!
As it turned out, I rather like the three image stack with its rougher sea. Either way, at least I have a photograph of the thrift looking its best!
Trevone Thrift, South West Coast Path, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/8, 1/60 sec at ISO 64, three image focus stack.
Bite-Size Blog Post #25 - Bude Sea Pool
Photographers will often say that you need to find the right subject for the conditions. As I briefly discuss in the blog this week, there's an element of truth to it.
And Now for Something Completely Different and Unexpected
My last few blog posts have all featured photographs of Dartmoor. Hardly surprising given that it’s my local area for landscape photography! I do however like to venture further afield, especially to Cornwall, but the driving distances involved normally mean I’ll only go if there is a good reason to. i.e. The conditions are looking favourable for a bit of coastal photography.
The story behind this photograph is a little different though. This wasn’t a planned shoot. In fact, I was only going through to Cornwall to pick up a tripod which I had left in a friend’s car after a long photography trip. I had already checked the weather, and it was looking overcast and flat. But sometimes the forecast is wrong, so I packed my camera anyway. Better to have it and not need it, than the other way around.
Arriving at my friend’s house the weather was indeed a bit rubbish. No chance of an epic sunset over some high cliff tops or over a golden beach. He made a very good suggestion though, and that was to try Bude Sea Pool. I had photographed once before, but without any real success, so a return trip to capture some moody long exposures seemed the perfect thing to do.
And here’s the result. Perhaps not the most original of compositions but there’s only so many angles you can shoot the sea pool when it’s high tide and the waves are crashing in. I rather like it and it’s very different from my recent Dartmoor photographs. So not only did I get my tripod back, but I also bagged a pleasing photograph. Happy days.
Bude Sea Pool, Cornwall - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 92mm, f/11, 90 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND.
Bite-Size Blog Post #24 - Yes Tor
I'm on a journey to expand my creative toolbox to include black and white photography. Find out in this blog post why my Dartmoor photography is changing.
Are My Tastes Maturing?
My kids have a limited palette when it comes to the foods they eat. There was a phase that if the food wasn’t yellow and it hadn’t came from the freezer, they wouldn’t eat it! I was certainly no different at that age, living on a steady diet of turkey drummers. But as I got older my tastes changed, and by the time I had a “proper” job I was eating at restaurants and drinking wine. Ginger beer and heavily processed turkey breaded drumsticks were not on the menu.
Much in the same way my food palette has expanded, it looks like my photographing style is expanding to include black & white photography. I’ve always been able to appreciate a good black & white landscape photograph, but I’ve never been able to effectively translate the style into my own photographs.
Yes Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 64.
Life Without Colour
Recently though I’ve started taking more black & white photographs, especially of my local area, Dartmoor National Park. I admit, my first few black & white Dartmoor photographs were hasty conversions in an effort to save a mediocre shot, but I have now started to look at what the world would look like without colour.
I would classify myself as a classic landscape photographer and this I believe is reflected in the photographs I capture of Dartmoor. Lots of big open views taken during the golden hours. I like to think of these photographs as showing off Dartmoor in its best light. And while these photographs a true representation of Dartmoor, those conditions can be rare. Frustratingly rare!
It’s from that frustration that my interest in photographing Dartmoor in black & white has come about. Being able to see Dartmoor in a way that suits the conditions has freed me a little from the constraints of only being pleased when there is a certain type of light.
Cosdon Hill, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 56mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Previsualtion
One of the reasons I am starting to photograph Dartmoor more in black and white is the effectiveness of Picture Controls on my Nikon Z8. In particular the Picture Control “deep tone monochrome” has become invaluable in helping me previsualise a Dartmoor photograph in black and white. Being able to previsualise the scene in black & white on my camera has freed me from the guilt of believing I’m only converting as a last resort
And now that Lightroom also has that profile built in, I have to do a lot less guess work in getting the photograph to look the way I saw it on the back of the camera when I captured it.
Hunt Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-10mm f/4 S at 120mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
The End of Colour in My Dartmoor Photographs?
As much as I have and will continue to enjoy taking Dartmoor photographs in black and white, this does not mean the end of colour for me. Far from it. Getting up early in the morning and experiencing the joy of a glorious sunrise is something I will always love to witness and to photograph.
What black and white gives me though is another tool in my creative toolbox. Something that I have in my portfolio of photography styles, rather than something to fall back on. I know what all you hardcore black and white photographers are saying…what took you so long! All I can say is, it doesn’t matter how long it took me to get here, the point is that I’m here, and I love it.
Yes Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-10mm f/4 S at 26mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #23 - Wild Tor
In the blog this week I take a long walk to one of Dartmoor’s most remote tor, Wild Tor, and question if it was all worth all the effort!
A Long, Featureless Walk
Wild Tor is wild by name and wild by nature. It’s one of Dartmoor’s most remote tors and no matter which direction you come at it from, it will be a long walk. Not that a long walk is a bad thing on Dartmoor. If it’s a 7km walk to a tor worth photographing, then I’m more than happy to put in the effort. Besisdes, they do say it’s about the journey and not the destination.
Having walked to Wild Tor before I was keen to try an alternative route. Normally I’d walk in via Oke Tor and Steeperton Tor, but for this adventure I decided to start in Belstone village and head up to the summit of Cosdon Beacon, track along to Little Hound Tor, and then straight along to Wild Tor. On paper, this looked like a lovely route.
The trek up from Belstone village to Cosdon Beacon was a bit of slog. I couldn’t find a clear path, so I mostly had to follow animal tracks to the summit. It seemed to take ages but when I finally made it the views were dramatic. I could see for miles in all directions.
I could also see my next waypoint, Little Hound Tor, which was almost on a straight track south. The walk was easy enough, but despite some clear views, it wasn’t exactly the most exciting of walks. Don’t get me wrong, a walk on Dartmoor is rarely something I regret and I certainly wasn’t regretting this walk, it was just this route was a little featureless and dull. Maybe I was just feeling a bit grumpy!
Wild Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/11, 1/50 sec at ISO 64.
Feeling Isolated and Remote on Dartmoor
The last stretch of my walk to Wild Tor was familiar enough, and soon I had reached my destination. If a feeling of isolation or a sense of being away from it all is what you are after, then Wild Tor is the location for you! It’s one of the reasons I love going there. I rarely see anyone else and there’s not a road of building to be seen for miles!
While I love the way Wild Tor makes me feel, it’s the opportunity to photograph this magical tor that makes me undertake that long walk.
Wild Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/11, 1/50 sec at ISO 64.
Well, I say magical, but when I got there and I had a wander about, I felt decidedly uninspired! Maybe I was in a grumpy mood or perhaps I had over hyped Wild Tor in my head. Was the alure of how remote this Dartmoor tor is was skewing my judgement?
Sometimes though, a lack of creativity is a temporary thing. So, I had a sit down, ate a snack and enjoyed the view. Sure enough, a little rest and food allowed me to reset, and I was soon feeling inspired! And once you feel like you capture one good image, it’s easier to carry on capturing more.
Wild Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
A Different Vision of Wild Tor
The first photographs I captured are from viewpoints that I’ve shot from before. They are photographs that are very much in my style of Dartmoor photography. But as the sun got lower in the sky what cloud there was started to clear leaving bright blue skies.
Not to be put off by the clearing skies, I decided to look for a composition that didn’t depend on an interesting sky. I soon found what I was looking for! What interests me about this new composition is that it not only features a new angle on a tor I’d already photographed, but the postioning of the three rock stacks is something I’d not seen on Dartmoor before. It’s this composition that makes these photographs uniquely Wild Tor.
After a few hours of feeling a little grumpy, I left Wild Tor feeling great and inspired to come back. I even enjoyed the walk home….though I did take an alternative route back!
Wild Tor #4, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Wild Tor #5, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #22 - Sharp Tor - Dartmoor National Park
In my blog this week, I do something that I haven't done before and that's photograph Sharp Tor near Willsworthy on Dartmoor.
Somewhere New on Dartmoor National Park!
I’ve been photographing Dartmoor for well over a decade and sometimes it feels like I’ve photographed it all! With Dartmoor National Park being just over 365 square miles in size, I think that it is unlikely that I have. But, as time goes on, it has become increasingly hard to find a location that I have never photographed before.
Inspiration can come when you least expect it though. I had a spare evening but going out to take pictures wasn’t top of my list of things to do. The weather was looking good and what I really fancied was a good walk! Opening my OSMaps app I scanned Dartmoor for a suitable route. Hovering around the Willsworthy Range I realised that I had explored very little of that area. In particular I had never been to Sharp Tor which I had visually spotted a few weeks earlier while photographing Ger Tor.
Sharp Tor#1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/11, 1/100 sec at ISO 640.
Always Take Your Camera to Dartmoor
Excited to have found somewhere new to explore, I packed my bag with everything I would need for an evening walk on Dartmoor, including my camera. I know I said taking photographs wasn’t top of my list of things to do that evening, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take my camera. Only that it wasn’t the primary focus of the evening!
I rarely leave home without the camera when going on a walk. You never know what you might see! It’s better to have the camera and not need it, than need the camera and not have it!
Sharp Tor#2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
The walk up to Sharp Tor is fairly straight foward. Having already checked there was no live firing in the range that evening, I parked at the car park near the entrance to the range. Walking up the road to the range I walked past a tent with some military folks in it I double checked it was OK to proceed and that I wasn’t going to be seen as a moving target. I was casually and politely waved on. Nothing to worry about then!
Sharp Tor#3, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Sharp Tor on Dartmoor - Hit or Miss?
Arriving at Sharp Tor, I was hot, but bullet free! As with the views from Ger Tor and Great Links Tor, the views from Sharp Tor are expansive and on a clear evening like I had I could see well into Cornwall.
While the views were great and well worth the walk, I wasn’t particularly convinced that Sharp Tor itself was very photogenic. Some tors immediately capture your imagination, others take several visits or a specific set of conditions. As nice as the area around the tor was, I struggled to find a strong composition of the tor itself.
So, am I done with Sharp Tor? No. Looking at my photographs now I still believe there might be some potential there. It might just take a few visits to find what makes Sharp Tor special. Not that making repeated visits to Sharp Tor will be a hardship. It’s a walk and a view that I will always look forward to.
Sharp Tor#4, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #21 - Bowerman's Nose - Dartmoor National Park
In my blog this week, I set a very early alarm call so I can be at Bowerman's Nose on Dartmoor for sunrise, but to my surprise I experience more than just good light.
A Spring Morning on Dartmoor
As you’ll have guessed by the heading, this blog is a retrospective post, but it’s still a story worth sharing.
Every season on Dartmoor brings something special but the season of spring can be one of the most vibrant and noisy! Spring is also an opportunity to photograph one of Dartmoor’s most unique tors, Bowerman’s Nose, at sunrise. It’s only around springtime that the light from the rising sun isn’t blocked by a hill to east.
There is a downside though. Sunrise is at 5:30am! I don’t mind an early start, but a 5:30am sunrise is normally a 4am alarm call (at the latest!). However, if you can get past the early start, being up on Dartmoor National Park at that time day can be magical.
Bowerman’s Nose #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Tranquility on Dartmoor
I can only describe that morning up on the eastern edge of Dartmoor as tranquil. As I sat on a small rocky outcrop looking down on the valley below, all I could see was a sea of fog. There was so much of it that I found it difficult to pick out places that I knew! As the sun hadn’t risen yet there was no light on the landscape, so I just decided to sit there and take in the view. (Check out my Instagram post to see a video of what I saw).
As if the visual delights weren’t enough, I was also surrounded by a chorus of bird song. I’m not sure how many birds there were, but given the levels of sound, I thought every bird on Dartmoor was at the same spot I was. The noise was almost overpowering, but it also came with a sense of tranquillity.
It’s not often I get a sense of inner peace at 5am, but as I sat there on my rocky outcrop watching the fog flow through the valley below, listening to a thousand birds sing, I truly felt like I was in the best place in the world and that I could spend all morning there. As it turned out, thThe photographs I captured that morning of Bowerman’s Nose were just a bonus and not the main event.
If only all mornings on Dartmoor were like that one.
Bowerman’s Nose #2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 26mm, f/13, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.